Jetlag and Grounding

Many of my clients are world travelers and as such deal with jetlag often. In some cases the jetlag really lingers and can interfere with their day to day lives for quite a while after the travel has ended.

Jetlag Tips!

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
  There are several tips that I remind my clients. First off, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!  No surprise here.  Flying at high altitudes can dehydrate the body and its tissues.  Many travelers enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages while traveling, which can also dehydrate tissues, especially when combined with high altitudes. It is always wise to hydrate before and after travel.  We often neglect rehydrating after finally reaching our destination out of sheer exhaust but it is a key step in helping our bodies readjust to their new time zone.
• Ground Yourself
  The other thing I remind clients is to ground yourself, especially by using nature and the Earth’s natural rhythms.  We are living creatures and as such our bodies operate with circadian rhythms.  These rhythms are the patterns and timing that our bodies use to regulate hormones and energy levels throughout the day.  When we travel and enter different time zones we are setting ourselves up for having our circadian rhythms be a bit off.  Just like our brains have to adjust to new times and daylight patterns depending on where we travel, so too our bodies physically have to get on board. 
• Use The Earth's Natural Rhythms 
  One of the quickest ways to give your body the queues it needs to get back into a normal rhythm is to use the Earth’s natural happenings to let our bodies know where they are.  Watching sunrises and sunsets can help our brains to know that the time has changed and to readjust to our current locations. The sun in our eyes and on our skin helps to release chemicals and hormones that can help our circadian rhythms adjust. By consciously watching these natural queues the Earth provides we can jumpstart our jetlag recovery.
• Use the Ocean
  Another excellent way to ground ourselves and get ourselves back into a new normal is to spend time near the ocean… obviously this is much easier if we happen to be near one. The rhythm of the waves and the ozone or negative ions from water and air crashing can be queues that also help to reset our circadian rhythms. Combine that with a sunrise or sunset and you will be well on your way to “being” in your current time zone. Physcially Touch Nature
• Physical Touch Nature
  Other things you might try is to go on walks in nature or lay down on a grassy area. Physically experiencing the natural world after being propelled unnaturally through the air in a flying tube can help us to get back to normal. Airports and airplanes are artificial environments and as such can mess with our brains and confuse our bodies.  By connecting into nature we allow our bodies to get a feel for the real and the places we actually are at. This is not always easy in our modern world.

The worst recoveries I have had from jetlag are when I end up traveling somewhere and am not able to go outside and experience nature or natural rhythms around me.   I have stayed holed up in my hotel room and kept everything dark.  While napping and being lazy felt good at the time, it didn’t give my body the queues it needed to readjust.  Even a small ten minute walk around in the streets can help our bodies to start moving back to the correct time zone.

Are you where you want to be?

Lastly, one of the other things that keeps us from recovering from jetlag is not wanting to be where we currently are at. If you really did not want to be where you are, the brain and body will cling to where your mind is. This is often because we miss loved ones we left behind or experiences that we made in a different place.  In these cases I recommend facing those feelings.  Feel them in your body. Identify them. Acknowledge them. Accept that you have those feelings.  It is okay to not be completely comfortable where you are. After becoming aware of those feelings, try to think of positives or good reasons for being in your current timezone. Help your brain and body to understand why you changed locations and how temporary or non-temporary the new move is. If we ignore those longing feelings, our jetlag will remain pretty strong.

Another thing that helps is to pamper your body. Take a hot bath. Relax and reduce the stress you got from traveling. Get a massage and eat a healthy meal.  Your body will thank you.

Got any jetlag recovery tips that work for you?  I’d love to hear them!  Consider bringing them up in your next session with Julie at Posture Massage!